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October 31, 2015

This One Ingredient Can Save and Restore Your Vision

A team of researchers from Italy have discovered what could be the cure for age-related vision loss. Not only did their research show that this popular food product could prevent vision loss, but it actually reversed vision loss in study participants with age-related macular degeneration.

This is welcome news for anyone concerned about keeping their eyes healthy for a long time to come.

What is Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is the number one cause of blindness.

The macula is located at the center of the eye, and is responsible for the central part of our visual field. As the macula degenerates in people afflicted with this condition—often elderly people, but also in young and otherwise healthy individuals—the center of the visual field becomes disrupted.

At first, the degeneration may not cause vision problems, but slowly the center of the visual field will become altered, gradually going from blurriness and waviness to creating a “hole” in the center of the vision. Although peripheral vision remains mostly unaffected, people with advanced macular degeneration are considered legally blind.

This type of eye problem is seriously debilitating, and it affects more people than glaucoma and cataracts combined. Genetics play a strong role in the development of this disease, but it can be exacerbated and accelerated by smoking.

Saffron and Macular Degeneration

Most people have heard that carrots are excellent for maintaining healthy eyes, and now it’s time to add another tasty orange food product to that list.

Now that saffron has been shown to improve vision and appears to have vision-protective properties as well, you have a very good reason to give in to your craving . Who said eating curried food couldn’t be as good for you as it is for your taste buds?

Saffron and Macular Degeneration – the Research

Researchers from multiple universities in Italy teamed up to explore the effects of saffron ingestion on people with eyesight problems due to macular degeneration.

Study participants were given just 20 milligrams of saffron per day over a three-month period, and then evaluated at the end of the test period.

The researchers found that the retinas of participants with early age-related macular degeneration improved in their functioning after just three months of daily saffron ingestion, and that this result was significantly better than that seen in the placebo group.

This is heartening news for people who are genetically predisposed to macular degeneration.

Saffron is Expensive – What to do Instead

Let’s face it: saffron can be very costly when purchased whole for use in food, and not everyone wants to eat a curry every day. However, you can still reap the rewards of saffron for the sake of your vision by trying an inexpensive supplement instead.

Other Natural Ways to Protect Your Eyes

How Mango Can Help to Prevent Macular Degeneration

According to the Institute for Natural Healing, eating three servings of mango per day (1 serving = 1/2 – 3/4 cup) can reduce your chances of developing age-related macular degeneration by more than a half.

Mangos contain a lot of vitamin A, which is very important for eye health, and they’re also rich in zeaxanthin and lutein – two potent antioxidants. They protect the eyes from high-energy light waves, such as some ultraviolet rays in sunlight, which can be harmful to the eyes.

Other Ways to Improve Your Vision

Our eyesight is vital for a healthy, independent and fulfilling life. Yet, more and more people experience different eyesight problems, including cataracts, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy (common diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness).

It’s never too late to start looking after your precious eyes. Eating the right foods is definitely an important step in the right direction and an even more convenient way is to juice certain foods to naturally protect and even improve your eyesight. It’s time to appreciate all that your eyes do for you.

There are a number of key vitamins that will allow your eyes to stay healthy:

Vitamin A – Vitamin A deficiency can cause night vision problems and increase your risk of macular degeneration and cataracts.

Pro-vitamin A carotenoids

Lutein and zeaxanthin – These two are potent antioxidants and can reduce your risk of developing macular degeneration and other common eye problems.

Lycopene – It reduces the risk of macular degeneration. It has also been connected to cancer prevention.